The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) arrested the 27 year old at his home in Manchester after the City of London police unit made the trip, and it was pleased with its efforts. They said that his activities, which offered access to subscription only services, had cost the industry £10m.

"Today's operation is the unit's third arrest in relation to online streaming and sends out a strong message that we are homing in on those who knowingly commit or facilitate online copyright infringement," said DCI Danny Medlycott, the newly appointed head of PIPCU.

"Not only is there a significant loss to industry with this particular operation but it is also unfair that millions of people work hard to be able to afford to pay for their subscription-only TV services when others cheat the system."

The unnamed man was questioned by Manchester police. According to PIPCU he was running an impressive setup, with an "industrial size streaming operation". A dozen computer servers were taken away by the police.

"Without realising it, advertisers are allowing their brands to be associated with illegal sites and, regrettably, this happens more often than it should.," it said in July.

"But each time it does, brands are effectively putting money in the back pocket of criminals. As advertisers funnel more money into online spend, initiatives like this are crucial to safeguarding their brands as well as their budget." µ